Sampled on tap. Mahogany brown with slight head that diminished quickly into a Lacey ring. Nose was nutty and piney with a bit of nutmeg. Flavor was hoppier than the subtle nose but well balanced by a brown sugar sweetness. (226 characters)

Appearance- First off this beer pours a massive frothy head that is slow to dissipate. The color is a deep garnet color and is on the cloudy side.

Smell- Pine overules, with a the citric nature of the hops punching through. Pungent.

Taste- First, there is a sweet malt that comes through, with a toasted biscuit quality to it. This lasts for only a second, as the bitter pine-like hoppy notes begin to descend on the palate. Complex, as citrus notes mix with the pine undertones. Hints of grapefruit and mango add to the sweetness. The bitter finishes lasts until the end and lingers.

Mouthfeel- Medium heavy, and right on par for an IPA. Smooth and bitter.

Overall- An impressive IPA bursting with flavor. The use of fresh hops as advertised is apparent in the taste. If you're a hop fan, you need to try this Winter offering. (872 characters)

An intense Hop BOMB. Very bitter and resinous, a hop-heads delight...but not so much for rest of us! To me it is unnecessarily bitter with a lack of the myriad fruity flavors of the hops from a GOOD IPA/DIPA, not to mention a complete lack of even the faintest hint of balance! Not SN's best effort, I'm rather disappointed... (326 characters)

Incredible on tap . Beautiful to behold in the glass and a wonderful aroma. I wish I had the vocabulary to describe the balance of this fine Ale. I have to give it a perfect rating. I will look for it again at my local (220 characters)

This is a nice amber colored beer. The first thing I noticed was when I smelled it was the hops, I think I also smelled a slight citrus odor. I usually read the labels on the beer to see if their description lines up with what I notice while tasting. The description on this label was spot on. They describe it is a complex, robust ale layered in pine, citrus and hops. (369 characters)

Did a little Holiday beer tasting with my wife. This is a great beer. I really enjoy the subtle hoppy smell that goes along with this beer. It has just enough bite to it too without being bitter. A very balanced and enjoyable brew. Another solid one from Sierra Nevada. (269 characters)

I always look forward to this one when the holidays roll around. A little bit more of everything than Sierra's Pale Ale, and a little bit less than Torpedo. Highly drinkable with a nice hop character, but not particularly aggressive. (I would have said differently when I first tried this one ages ago, since at the time it was one of the hoppiest beers I had ever tasted.) This is another one that will sneak up on you. (421 characters)

Aroma is of orange peel and pine. Piured from a bottle...nice quarter inch of tan head. Robust grapefruit and resin taste is balanced with medium toast malt (caramel). Fresh lingering aftertaste in the back. mouthfeel is substantial but not thick. This beer is a Christmastime treat! (especially for hop heads) (310 characters)

Having lived on sixth street in Chico ca when Sierra Nevada first opened its brewery, am positive the hops being used are nowhere near as good these days. Very piney and bitter . The hops drowned out the malt leaving bitter beer face.. Some like the piney flavors however would prefer to taste some malt backbone to round out the flavors.

Also seems quickly brewed , not allowed to develop and bottled before its due time. A trend with big name brands that have to push out volume under deadlines.

World Class? Bros are usually pretty dead on however would strongly differ on this one.

Good enough to drink if offered by a host but would save my legal tender for something more celebratory as the $8.99 a six pack is expensive for the quality here. (763 characters)

A friend and I were doing a lateral tasting of "stouts" late one afternoon. When dinner time arrived we sat down and poured a Celebration Ale to accompany the meal. The contrast in the different styles knocked our palates for a loop. It gave us a fresh start for the evenings festivities. A palate cleansing experience.Did our afternoon of tasting influence our assessment of this brew? Perhaps, but it awakened us to fuller appreciation.This is one fine ale. A beautiful balance of flavors. The hops played beautifully on top of the malts. We toasted one another from opposite ends of the dining room table.Happy Holidays to All! (633 characters)

A: Rubyish-reddish-copperishA: Fruit-tarty. Sour strawberry pie. Apple. Berry. Slight hint of resin.F: Forget what I just smelled. There's little tart/sweet in the taste.. it's earthy/hoppy/piney/resinous/tree-barky. Some bitterness towards the end, but finishing cleanly, with a bit of sweet tree-fruitiness. Wish just a little more of that fruit flavor came through the taste.M: Full-bodied, well-rounded, mod carbO: I've never drank this beer and felt wintery/warm/holiday-cheery (as the snowy cabin picture would suggest- perhaps a 'cinnamon and roasted marshmallow stout' comes to mind, but I digress..), however, I suppose it's definitely more pleasurable than the typical citrus-forward IPAs around this time of year. Though I think it's a tad over-rated, Celebration highlights some great hops with subtle tree-fruit nuances and is a remarkably manly beer (in fact, it should have a picture of a lumberjack on the front or something).

terrific ipa ! lost in all the flavors. rings the palate like a glockenspiel! hums the hops . smooth and wet. drinkability deluxe. i found another favorite. and i hesitate to say its almost amazing. almost... (217 characters)

This is a pretty crisp, piney IPA. I like Sierra Nevada and I like this Celebration. It has lovely color and aroma, and although I would argue with its world-class rating, it is definitely a solid offering from SN. Would get it again in a heartbeat. (252 characters)

A: [4.25] Somewhere between amber and red. the beer pourrs with a ful 1 1/2 finger head of dense off white head. I noticed some yeast at the bottom of the bottle. Leaves fantastic lacing on the glass. Very easy to read born on date (9/30/14). No visible IBU or ABV listed

A: [3.50] If I was handed this glass and asked to say what was in it I would guess a nice craft lager. It has all of the qualities of a really nice lager. I am really enjoying it. I am guessing there has been hop fade since bottling (around 70 days ago). Still this is a pleasant beer I would drink again (914 characters)

Pours a nice burnt orange and gold color with a little cloudiness and a nice off-white head. Smell is exactly as noted above. Very intense citrus and pine hops. Tastes of citrus and fairly hoppy, but not overbearing, perfect for all night drinking. Light mouthfeel that goes down smooth and almost creamy. A very yummy brew! (326 characters)

Pours a nice copper color with a white head that trails the glass. The smell is bright with a lot of citrus from the hops. There is also some toasted malt. The taste was very nice with a burst of hops up front and then mellowing to a nice malty finish. Very interesting take on a christmas beer. (295 characters)

This is one of my favorite Sierra Nevada beers, not incredibly hoppy for those times when you aren't looking for that. I really like fruity and floral notes that make the taste very fresh. Perfect for the holiday season. (220 characters)

I'm not a huge fan of SN. I like their Pale Ale which has been the standard for many years and I occasionally will have a Torpedo. I've also heard good things about their porter, but the only beer that I've had from them that I think is truly excellent is Celebration Ale.

Celebration Ale is great for what it's not. It's not a hop bomb and it's not a thin beer that lacks flavor. It's a perfectly balanced IPA that has a smooth, slightly caramel malt flavor that integrates perfectly with a nice hop punch. Two other great things about this beer.

- The freshness of the hops really add to the flavor.- The price for such a solid IPA can't be beat

This year I bought a case of it and wish I could have a celebration the whole year round. (750 characters)

Lovely copper, amber color with an off whit head that persists. Aroma is citrusy hops, with some caramel notes. Taste is hop forward with some citrus and malt sweetness just enough to balance but not overtake the hops. Mouthfeel is medium to light. I love this beer every year and this is no different. A unique winter ale that is top class. (346 characters)